The new cultivar is a product of a chance discovery. The new variety originated as a whole plant mutation occurring among tissue culture plants of Neoregelia ‘Voodoo Doll’. The initial identification of the sport was made in Florida, with the tissue culture mutant then sent to Hawaii. The inventor then observed and propagated the clone to assess stability. Selection of ‘VD001’ was made during 2014.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘VD001’ was first performed by vegetative cuttings in 2014 in Waimanalo, Hi. ‘VD001’ has been reproduced over 6 generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.